Unlocking the Brilliance in Yourself, Your Colleagues and Your Organization

February 13, 2013

Greetings. Just a quick note to let you know that this blog now has a brand new home and a new look...but hopefully the same valuable content you have all come to expect from my somewhat unique view of innovation, people, and the world around us.

Simply go to www.alangregerman.com to be taken to my latest post and all of the posts from the past four years.

And you'll also find an opportunity to receive my free e-book--affectionately titled "DEAR HOME DEPOT"--on the do's and don'ts of creating remarkable customer experiences.

January 21, 2013

Greetings. Today marked the 57th inauguration of a United States President. It also provided an opportunity to think about the history and promise of our country, and the challenges we face living up to our ideals in a way more complicated world than our forefathers (and our foremothers) ever imagined. And regardless of your political persuasion, the nature of our presidential inaugurations speaks volumes about the stability of our democracy--and the unique potential of our increasingly diverse nation.

It also suggests the possibility that each of us can periodically--in this case every four years--take stock of where we have been, where we are trying to get to, and the best path for reaching our goals and dreams as companies, organizations, and individuals. To reflect on the powerful stories and rich histories that have brought us to where we are today. To take account of our real promise and the challenges we face in making it a reality. And to imagine a newer and more optimistic set of priorities that would challenge us to reach our real potential by working together with colleagues, customers, partners, and even competitors.

Who knows what the next four years will bring in Washington. We can only hope that our leaders on both sides of the aisle will seek to find meaningful compromise and even innovation in addressing the biggest issues we face as a nation. Because whether we are willing to admit it or not, their actions and inactions have a great impact on almost all of our enterprises...and on our ability as a nation to continue to be a remarkable source of energy, imagination, creativity, invention, hope and opportunity.

We win in business and in life when we decide to inaugurate our own fresh starts. And when we find the courage to get beyond old thinking in building a more compelling and shared future.

January 14, 2013

Greetings. It's not often that we have the chance to hear someone considered to be the very best at what they do. Someone who has, through years of dedication, practice, skill, and passion developed their craft to the highest level imaginable. So when a small notice in Friday's "Weekend" section of the Washington Post announced that Julian Milkis would be performing in town, my wife Lisa and I jumped at the chance to hear him--especially at a small venue.

If you're not familiar with Julian Milkis you're not alone. After all, the clarinet is probably not the most popular instrument in an orchestra, jazz band, or chamber ensemble. In fact, we had not heard of him either before this past week when we learned that he had been the only student of the legendary big band leader Benny Goodman, that he was a rare musician who was equally renowned as a classical and jazz artist, and that he had been called "simply the best clarinetist in the world." And within moments it was clear to us and the rest of the audience that he had somehow magically taken this instrument to another level. That he could interpret, create, combine, and hold notes in ways we had never heard before. That in two short hours he could, in concert with three other wonderful musicians who perform as the National Chamber Ensemble, transform our understanding of the real potential and beauty of the clarinet and, in the process, make us believe he and his instrument were one.

A rare moment when it was clear that we were in the presence of genius.

And if you enjoy classical music, chamber music, jazz, or simply like the sound of woodwinds, you should definitely learn more about Julian Milkis. And you should definitely try to hear him live in New York, or Washington, or Toronto, or London, or any place he happens to be playing...

Or anyplace where he happens to be reinventing the way a clarinet and its music sound.

And when you do, try to spend at least a few moments thinking about what it takes to reimagine anything worth doing...and how you and all of your colleagues might turn your passion into a work of art.

In the meantime, here's a short video of him playing with the Borodin Quartet...

We win in business and in life when we turn our gifts into magic. And when we become one with the tools of our trade.

January 08, 2013

Greetings. The start of each new year is a great time to stretch all of our thinking about a world of new possibilities. A time to imagine new initiatives and offerings that will deliver even greater value to the customers, employees, and shareholders we have the privilege to serve. A time to challenge conventional wisdom and even reinvent the way our businesses or industries operate. And a time to reach out and connect with people and organizations that are very different than we are--people and organizations with very different ideas, perspectives, ways of doing the things that matter most, and even different dreams.

In September my newest book titled The Necessity of Strangers will be coming out, and in the year ahead I'd like to challenge you to make strangers--i.e., people you don't already know and who could be very different than you--an important part of your learning and action. To connect with people around the corner and around the world who might hold the key to innovation and your greater success. To step out of your comfort zones and look across disciplines and cultures for new insights into the big questions, challenges, and opportunities your business faces. To look to make even stronger connections with the customers and colleagues you might not know very well.

And to approach each day with sense of curiosity and greater openness to finding new and more powerful sources of inspiration.

In a world filled with strangers and remarkable possibilities.

I always begin each year with a bit of inspiration from our children--Sara, Carly, and Noah (shown below outside Fiskekyrkan or "The Fish Church" in Goteborg, Sweden)--who continually remind me of the value of being open to new people and new experiences. And I recall fondly one time when Carly was in fourth grade and we were taking our morning walk to the school bus stop. On that particular day a fellow walked by who seemed somewhat odd and more than slightly disheveled. A fellow we had never seen in our quiet neighborhood before. And once we were out of listening distance, I quickly turned to Carly and reminded her of the importance of not talking to strangers. It was sensible advice my parents had given me in far less uncertain times.

To which Carly quickly replied:

"But Papa, if I don't talk to strangers how will I ever make new friends? And, how will I ever learn new things?"

They were words that I now think about nearly every day, and words that inspired my new book and my ongoing commitment to help our customers and my readers to find value and even genius in people they don't yet know.

With a bit of (appropriate) caution.

We win in business and in life when we explore and connect with new people, new ideas, and new possibilities. So here's to your strangest and most successful year yet!

January 04, 2013

Greetings. There are not a lot of advantages to living in a place with plenty of traffic, especially when it can take two hours to drive twenty miles during rush hour. But there are definitely a few. One is the chance to listen to a book on tape or a favorite channel on SiriusXM. Yes, I'm hooked on satellite radio after only a month and a half of my free trial. Another is the opportunity to have some "alone" time after a busy day, surrounded by thousands of one's closest strangers who are in various stages of enjoying their own "alone" time. And a third is the chance to see, and think about, some odd but occasionally inspiring bummer stickers. It's a perk that is particularly engaging when stuck in bummer-to-bummer traffic.

So yesterday as I got stuck rounding the Capital Beltway, I happened to notice the following idea:

DIFFERENT IS NOT ANOTHER WORD FOR WRONG.

Simple enough.

Yet an important reminder of the real challenge of reaching our full potential as companies and individuals. Because, try as we might, most of us--and most of the organizations we work in--have a real aversion to "DIFFERENT." Different people. Different ideas. Different ways of doing things. Different opportunties. Different points of view. As a result, we tend to hang out with roughly the same people--i.e., people who are a lot like us. And we tend to be most comfortable with ideas that fit our current understanding. And we tend to prefer to do things the same way we've always done them--with a few minor tweaks or a few incremental changes along the way. And we tend to be most interested in new opportunities that are just like the opportunities we've pursued in the past--similar jobs, similar collaborations, similar investments, and so on. And we tend to be less open, the older we get, to different perspectives and points of view.

All because we equate "different" with being "wrong" or at best "less than equal." Even when we should realize that different could be the real key to our success.

It turns out that no one ever did anything remarkable by being the same.

And no one ever stood out from the pack by fitting in.

And no one ever changed the world by daring to not make waves.

In fact, as we begin 2013, DIFFERENT should be our mantra. Being different in ways that really matter to our companies, organizations, and the customers we have the privilege to serve.

We win in business and in life when we choose to appreciate people who are different than us and ideas that are different than the ones we hold dear. And when we take the time to notice a bumper sticker on the car and the world right in front of our eyes.

December 31, 2012

Greetings. As 2012 winds down, it's fun to look back at a few of the year's most interesting innovations...

While I tend to focus my work and writing on new ideas in the worlds of business and organizations, I would be remiss if I didn't begin with the government-based innovation that has captivated America for the past several months--affectionately known as the "Fiscal Cliff." It's a political innovation so powerful that it threatens to throw the U.S. and global economies into a new recession. And, at the time of this blog post, the very people who had created the cliff and were waiting until the very last minute to come up with a less than satisfactory solution, were also hard at work trying to look thoughtful, caring, and busy.

On the technology front, 2012 was a year marked by the ever-growing promise of mobility and the increasing power of the internet. New and cooler mobile devices seemed to be announced almost every week--highlighted by the arrival of Apple's iPhone 5, a bunch of new, more powerful, and more interactive Android phones, the iPad Mini, and the Microsoft "Surface." And the number of totally or at least partially, amazing apps for these devices seemed to expand at a faster rate than the universe itself. In fact, many people began envisioning lives based almost entirely on the use of smartphones and some futurists even suggested that we were getting close to the day when these devices would actually be implanted into our bodies. Until then, however, we might have to be content with serving as guinea pigs in the personal assistant battle between the totally frustrating and over-hyped Siri and the promising new Google Voice Search.

As for the web, it continued to grow as a place for commerce, managing business processes, and living our social and personal lives with companies like Amazon, Salesforce.com, Pinterest, and Instagram capturing even greater market share and attention. And a growing number of leading retailers and other brick-and-mortar businesses spent much of the year trying to figure out how to compete in a world turned upside down by the ease of clicking and the availability of nearly complete information.

On the automotive front, electric cars were all the rage even if very few people were buying them. The one exception was the long-awaited all-electric Tesla Model S supercar which made its debut to rave reviews. It proved to be a wonder of design and technology and as soon as I find an extra $100,000 under the mattress I will sign up to buy one.

Other innovations that caught our attention this year include Izhar Gafni's $20 cardboard bicycle, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, LiquiGlide, advances in 3D printing including the Formlabs' Form 1 and the MakerBot Replicator 2, the Black & Decker Max Gyro motion-activated screwdriver, the Eliodomestico solar water distiller, Goodyear's new self-inflating tires, and the NASA Curiosity Rover.

Have a wonderful New Year wherever you are and we'll see you in 2013...

December 18, 2012

Greetings. It is hard to write this week or to find words or a business topic that matter in the face of the unbearable tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. And even harder to imagine what an entire community of parents, siblings, grandparents, family, friends, and neighbors will do to cope with the loss of their loved ones--especially their children.

We are all diminished more than we will ever know by the sudden loss of all their smiles, their enthusiasm, laughter, and genius that will never have the chance to flourish. And if we can't, as a society, finally find a sane response to the plague of gun violence now, we will miss the sad but important opportunity to acknowledge that each of their lives mattered. And we will miss the chance to show that we are a nation that really does care--a nation that believes more fully in the safety of its people than in the right of gun manufacturers, lobbyists, and gutless members of Congress to sell assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons to citizens.

Last year their were more 10,000 murders in the U.S. involving guns.

Last year there were 18 murders in the United Kingdom involving guns. Faced with their own school "massacre" in Dunblane, Scotland, in 1996, the people and government of the U.K. chose to change the accessibility of guns in their lives. Do we have the moral and political will to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens, hunters, and especially our children?

I often write about the power of individuals and groups to make remarkable things happen against the greatest of odds and the most powerful competitors.

December 13, 2012

Greetings. Vidal
Sassoon, who died this year at the age of 84, never intended to revolutionize the world of fashion and hair
design. And he might not have,
except for circumstance and the fact that he was open to the power of learning
from other disciplines.
He grew up in poverty in East London, and his real interest was in
fighting racial hatred and the fascist gangs springing up in England
after the end of World War II. But
needing money, at the age of 14 his mother apprenticed
him to a local barbershop. While
this was not something that Sassoon had shown an interest in, he committed to
becoming the very best hairdresser possible and he decided that the best way to
make this happen was by working for the London’s richest, most successful, and
most fashion savvy people. To
accomplish this, he decided to regularly attend the theatre where he would
learn how to speak “posh” English as his ticket to finding work in London’s
West End. There he would have the
opportunity to “toil over the finest heads of hair by day” and then head out to
the streets at night to fight. A slight detour would have him leave London for the new state of Israel in 1948
before returning a few years later to open his own hair salon on fashionable
Bond Street.

For the next nine years, Sassoon would experiment with a wide range of new and unique
hairstyles and techniques with a keen focus on creating simple and elegant
looks for his clients. His claim
to fame would come in 1963 when he would create the “Bob and Five-Point Cut,”
also known simply as the “Bob.” It
was a revolutionary hairstyle that quickly caught on and would earn him renown
as the “founder of modern hairdressing.”
And, it would become a style that still endures fifty years later. He would go on to leverage his fame by partnering with hair salons across the
United Kingdom and the U.S. and through the development of a very popular line
of hair care products that continues to be sold through the world today.

But what is most interesting about
this remarkable innovator is the source of his inspiration, because
it didn’t come from going to classes or from watching other leading
hairdressers in the top salons of London.
Rather, his real breakthrough came from studying Bauhaus architecture
and design—itself an innovative architectural and arts movement that began in
Germany just after World War I.
Bauhaus had its roots in the cultural movement of Modernism that had as
its key pillars a focus on simple forms, functionality, and the hopeful idea of
producing significant buildings, crafts, and arts for the masses.

As Bauhaus design focused on
simple geometric shapes and sharp angles, so did Sassoon’s hair designs. His new looks were short and often
strikingly simple, with a geometry that mirrored his clients’ facial structure. Renowned architect
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, one of the leading lights of both Bauhaus and modern
architecture, would use the phrase “less is more” to summarize this new view of
design, and it was clear that Sassoon would find new inspiration in the possibility
of creating hairstyles that were “less” and “more” at the same time—easy to
cut, easy to take care of, simple, functional, accessible to everyone, stylish
and, as it turned out, viewed as a new “sexy.” They were haircuts that women could wash at home and then
wear with little or no maintenance.
Makes you wonder if that’s where the phrase “low maintenance” comes
from. And he did this at a time
when the traditional world of hair design was one of complicated styles that
were stiff and typically required women to either use hair curlers and
hairspray or visit the beauty salon every week.

All from studying the genius of
strangers whose work he saw on walks through the streets and shops of northern Europe and in
the emerging cityscape of modern Israel— especially Tel Aviv which was becoming
a center of Bauhaus design.

When he died in 2012, Grace
Coddington, the creative director of Vogue magazine, would say that Sassoon had “changed the
way everyone looked at hair.” And
isn’t this what innovation is really all about? Changing the way that people look at a product, a service, a
solution, an industry, an aspect of life, a style, or the way that things are
done? By being open to the world
around us and inspired by strangers who were doing the very same thing in a
very different field. Sassoon
found his inspiration in innovation that was occurring in the fields of
architecture and design. Not by
asking friends in the world of hairdressing for their ideas.

And so can all of us. By changing
the way people look at hair, or clothes, or food, or communicating, or hospitality, or computing, or government
contracting, or healthcare, or transportation, or education, or
anything else worth doing…and by thinking based on very different ideas and a
very different frame of reference.

We win in business and life when we are open to the genius of others. And when we use it to create our own unique style.

December 06, 2012

Greetings. I haven't written a post in a little over a week as I have been finishing the manuscript for my latest book on the importance of strangers in our success as companies, organizations, and individuals. It has been a really interesting project and in the weeks ahead I will definitely look forward to sharing more information about the book, some of the ideas in it, and when it will be available at a bookstore or website near you.

In the meantime, I'll get back to the blog and my interest in scanning the world around us to discover new ideas and insights on innovation, unlocking genius, and delivering the most compelling value to customers. And here is a wonderful and totally amusing example of innovative thinking in action.

We win in business and in life when we view rules as an opportunity to unlock new thinking. And when we find a bit of time to horse around.

November 27, 2012

Greetings. After four years and 160,000 miles, British traveler Graham Hughes has become the first person to visit all 201 sovereign states in the world--without ever getting on an airplane and spending an average of less than $100 a week as he sought to raise awareness and money for Water Aid, an organization working to bring clean water to people throughout the developing world. It is an amazing accomplishment profiled yesterday in the Christian Science Monitor.

And it demonstrates the simple power of travel as a way to help us to stretch our thinking, understand and appreciate people and places that are very different than what we are familiar with, and challenge our own abilities to get by and thrive in difficult situations.

The article highlights some of the most remarkable experiences that Hughes had on his journey including traveling on the ocean for four days in an open fishing boat, being jailed as a suspected spy, swimming in a lake filled with jellyfish, and dancing with jungle tribes. Unusual things that just seems to happen when we are open to a world of possibilities. And it defies the notion that many of us have about strangers and how dangerous the world is. As Hughes put it himself: "If you take everything that you know of the world from the news, it's all the bad stuff and you get very paranoid that everyone is out to get you. But the most amazing thing to me is that everyone I met looked after me and I didn't even know them."

Which begs the question: What are your travel plans? Though I'm assuming that it might be tricky to get four years off from work.

We win in business and in life when we set sail in search of adventure. And when we discover the kindness and unique gifts of most people on the way.

Alan Gregerman is an award-winning author, consultant and keynote speaker who has been called "one of the most original thinkers in business today" and "the Robin Williams of business consulting." His work focuses on helping companies and organizations to unlock the genius in all of their people in order to deliver the most compelling value to their customers. His two books--Surrounded by Geniuses and Lessons from the Sandbox--break the mold by challenging our thinking about people, the world around us and where brilliant ideas actually come from.